BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

The National Rugby League has de-registered Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks coach Shane Flanagan and Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe effective immediately.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg fronted a media scrum on Wednesday at League Central announcing his rulings after recommending sanctions to the independent commissioners on Tuesday.

Flanagan has been booted out of the game for failing to adhere to his ban from the club in 2014 for his involvement in the peptide scandal. The NRL obtained proof that Flanagan was in constant contact with Sharks officials throughout the season.

Sharks CEO Barry Russell travelled to Moore Park from the Shire this morning and was told of Greenberg’s ruling.

Greenberg then spoke to Flanagan over the phone after the former coach declined to meet in person.

“Part of those conditions was a requirement that the club not allow Mr Flanagan to be concerned directly or indirectly with the club whilst he was suspended,” Greenberg said.

“That message was reinforced a number of times to the club, and to Mr Flanagan during his suspension.

“The conditions that applied to Shane Flanagan’s 2014 suspension were crystal.

”Shane and the club appear to have ignored those conditions.”

The Sharks have also been fined $800,000.

Wests Tigers chief Pascoe has also been hit with a breach notice for a deal done with club legend Robbie Farah in 2016.

“We have obtained documents which show that the club entered an agreement to pay Robbie Farah to act as an ambassador at the club when he retires from playing,” Greenberg continued.

“This agreement was signed in 2016, at the same time Robbie left the club to join the Rabbitohs.

“The game’s rules are very, very clear on these arrangements.

“Any commitment to make such a payment should have been disclosed and should have been included in the salary cap. The club failed to do this.

“The club then compounded its conduct by submitting a misleading application to the NRL in relation to the salary cap treatment of money paid to Robbie when he left the club.”

Wests Tigers have been slugged with a $750,000 fine with a further $639,000 to be included in their 2019 salary cap.

The club came out on Wednesday with a statement of their own arguing that Farah had no in fact agreed to the offer from Pascoe.

“It is an arrangement that Wests Tigers had with Robbie that is unrelated to his career as a player,” the statement reads.

“The club does not know if he is going to take it up and Robbie has not indicated his intention in return.”

Both clubs have until the end of January to appeal the decisions.

@woodward_curtis